Trolley-switch.



L. E. ELWELL.

TROLLEY SWITCH. APPLICATION FILED JULY29,1911.'

Patented Apr. 15, 1913.

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L. E. ELWELL. TROLLBY SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 29,1911.

Patented Apr. 15, 1913.

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LLOYD E. ELWELL, 015 LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

TROLLEY-SWITCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed July 29, 1911.

Patented Apr. 15,1913.

Serial No. 641,271.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, LLOYD E. ELWELL, acitizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county ofLos Angeles and State of California, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Trolley-Switches, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to improvements in trolley switches andparticularly to such as are adapted for clamping and holding the trolleywires of an overhead trolley system at the points where a switch orcross over is arranged,

It is an object of the invention to provide a trolley switch which maybe readily and quickly clamped in position.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a switch mechanismformed of separable plates for gripping the wires at a trolley switchand clamping them in position, the structure being such that the partsmay be quickly put in place or taken apart as required.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a trolley switch withupper and lower plates adapted to secure the trolley wires of a switchwithout the necessity of welding, soldering or other similar operation,one of said plates also constituting a hanger for the said wires.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification Figure1 is a top plan view of a switch constructed in accordance with thepresent invention. Fig. 2 is'a side elevation of thesame. Fig. 3 is abottom plan view of the switch. Fig, 4 is a transverse verticalsectional view taken upon the line 4-4 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a similartransverse sectional view taken upon the line 55 of Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is atop plan view of the upper wire carrying plate of the device. Fig. 7 isa bottom plan view of the lower or switch plate of the device. Fig. 8'is a transverse sectional view through the upper plate, taken upon theline 8-8 of Fig. 6.

The details of the invention will now be more particularly describedreference being had to said drawing in which 10 indicates an upper plateor suspending member and 11 a lower plate or trolley guldmg member.

The switch mechanism may be made to fit any kind of a switch or crossover mechanism upon overhead trolley systems and is formed with asuitable number of branches or extensions to extend out upon and clampthe wlres which approach or come together at the said switch orcross-over. The plates of the switch mechanism as illustrated in thedrawing are arranged to fit a switch where a wire branches off from amain line.

As illustrated in the drawing the upper plate 10 is formed with endprojections 12, .13 and 14, the projections 12 and 13 extendmg over theunbroken trolley wire 15 while the projection 14 extends outwardly overthe end of the switch wire 16. The central portion of the plate 10 isarched above the nor mal position of the wire as clearly shown in Fig. 2while the said end portions 12, 13 and 14 are brought downwardly to theusual level of the wire and bear upon the upper surface thereof. Thesaid end portions are also formed upon their under surfaces with notchesor concave portions 17 as clearly shown in Fig. 5 for fitting upon andgripping the trolley wires. The upper plate and the said projections arestrengthened by means of vertically projecting ribs 18 and 19, which,for the greater portion of their length, extend along to one side of thewires but at the ends project inwardly over the wires as clearlyillustrated in Fig. 1. The plate is reduced at the center having atransverse neck portion 20 upon which the trolley wires rest. The upperplate 10 is provided with lateral projections 21 and 22 and 23 which areapertured and adapted to receive the guy wires by which the switch issuspended in posit-ion. The upperand lower plates are fastened *togetherby means of bolts 24 which extend through coinciding apertures formed inthe said plates. The end of the switch wire 16 rests upon the neck 20 ofthe upper plate and a clamping plate 25 is placed upon the same anddrawn down tightly against the switch wire and also against the adjacentthrough wire by means of the bolts 26 which extend through the upperplate 10 as shown in Fig. 4. The wires are separated by a projection 33upon said neck 20 and also by one of the bolts 26, to hold the saidwires more securely in position. Both of said wires are thus centrallyclamped upon the upper plate and both of said wires are additionallyclamped in the portions 27, 28 and 29 in which the wires rest, the uppersurface of the said portions being properly concaved to receive the saidwires and to receive the ends of the upper plate as illustrated in Fig.5. The under surface of said recessed portions projectdownwardly and aretapered to form the switch points 30, 31 and 32 as illustrated in Fig.3.

It will be evident that the switch plate may be altered in shape to fitany switch or cross over without departing in the least from the spiritof the invention. It will also be understood that the portions of theswitch mechanism may be quickly slipped upon the wires and be clampedtogether for forming the switch and that they may also be as quicklyremoved when it is necessary. This is an important factor in suchdevices, especially upon city car lines where repairs to the trolleywire must be quickly made in order not to block travel upon the lines.

that I claim is:

1. A trolley mechanism, comprising a wire securing upper plate having acentral transverse portion over which the wires pass and projectingends, means for securing the Wires on the central portion, the Wiresextending beneath theends of said plate, a

trolley guide switch plate having wire receiving grooves in the endportions thereof, the ends of the upper plate serving to hold the wiresin said grooves.

2. A trolley switch mechanism comprising an upper wire holding andclamping plate having a central portion over which the wires pass, meansfor clamping the said wires at said central portion, the ends of saidplate being bent inwardly so as to rest upon the upper surface of thewires, and a removable switch plate having trolley guiding meansthereon, and having grooves for fitting upon the wires, the said switchplate being adapted to be removably clamped upon the under side of thewire supporting plate, the said wire supporting plate being alsoprovided with attaching lugs by which it may be suspended in position.

In witness that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my namethis 24th day of July, 1911.

LLOYD E. ELWELL.

Witnesses E. STADLMAN, EARLE R. POLLARD.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. O.

